Geist Mein Schreien
by Korrosive
Summary: The Bad Touch Trio decide to drag their friends into spending the unlucky 13 nights in an abandoned, old and supposedly haunted mansion. But what awaits them? Rating may go up as story progresses. *Patched and updated*
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

Leaves rustled and danced as the gentle, early summer breeze blew. A wilted leaf the colour of copper fluttered. The breeze became wind, and blew the leaf high up. The leaf did somersaults in the air as it fluttered into the library room of a beautiful mansion through an open window.

The leaf landed gently on the carpeted floor. Compared to the huge library, the leaf was a speck of dust. The remains of the wind breathed, and the leaf fluttered to the feet of a person.

The person was seated on an intricately carved chair from Victorian times. The chair was an antique of finest quality. The ends of the armrests curled up to resemble lion's paws. The person shut the book she was reading.

She was beautiful for a girl her age. Long, dark brown hair cascaded down her back, and bright yellow ribbons were tied in her hair, one on each side of her head. Her aquamarine gaze lifted. She ran her fingers down her dress, which was splattered with blood, before lifting her fingers to feel the steel chain fastened around her neck. The ends were biting into the pale flesh of her neck. Gritting her teeth from the familiar pain, she ran her hand down the chain, past the bumps and gaps, and felt a loose, jagged end that nearly pricked her fingers.

The chains were broken.

* * *

><p>"WOOHOO! SCHOOL'S OUT!" 18-year-old Gilbert Beilschidmt yelled as he dashed past the school gates, his two friends stumbling after him.<p>

"Whoa! Wait up, _mon ami_!" Francis called as he and Antonio ran after Gilbert.

The very moment the school bell had rung for dismissal marked the start of the long-awaited summer holiday. Gilbert had been looking forward to spending the summer with his two closest friends, Francis and Antonio, drinking, spying on girls and basically causing mischief. But there was something to do first…

"Gilbert! Stop running! Where are we going anyway?" Antonio, tanned from the time he spent in his homeland Spain, shouted breathlessly, instantly regretting not building up his stamina when he could.

"Stop being un-awesome and follow me!" Gilbert hollered over his shoulder. His friends wondered where he was taking them. They ran up an uphill slope and along a worn-off dirt path that cut through a dead, lifeless wood. Francis and Antonio looked at the grey trees. Their silver branches seemed to creep towards them. The few healthier-looking trees were quite bare and there was not an animal in sight. They kept on running until Francis and Antonio realised Gilbert had stopped.

"Here it is!" Gilbert announced proudly. His friends looked up.

Right in front of the (Bad Touch) trio, towered a mansion. It was huge. The windows had French shutters and there was a tall, wooden door with a brass knocker twisted in the shape of a vine. The paint was a little scraped from age, but aside from that the mansion look like it was recently built.

"Gilbert…What the hell do you want to do with this mansion?" Antonio asked nervously.

"Isn't it obvious? We're going to explore it!" Gilbert said.

"Yes," Francis began. "But…"

"Well, not now, of course," Gilbert interrupted. "Tomorrow we'll bring Eliza, Bruder, Feli, Lovi and Prissy along. Oh, and we'll be spending the night here, so don't forget to bring your sleeping bags!"

"But you know, it's haunted," Antonio whispered. "Even this place gives me the creeps."

"Come on! Those rumours are just so full of lies! That's why we're spending the night…s here!" Gilbert insisted, oblivious to the shocked looks of his friends. "It's just a mansion and nobody owns it, right? So what's the big deal?"

"Well…" Antonio shuffled his feet, pushing aside the news of the five males their age who had entered the mansion and never came back.

"Maybe it won't be so bad," Francis said slowly, his gaze shifting between Antonio and Gilbert. "We shouldn't let those rumours get to us. Right, Toni?"

Antonio managed a grin. "Okay. Maybe it's just the rumours."

Gilbert smirked. "Great! So bring your stuff and meet here 2pm sharp! Leave it to me to bring Liz, Bruder and Snob Guy!"

"That means I'm in charge of the Vargas brothers," said Antonio.

"No extra baggage for me, though!" Francis joked.

Gilbert gave him a look. "Bring Arthur and Alfred with you!"

"Ah, well, it can't be helped," Francis let out a mock sigh of defeat as his friends shoved him playfully.

* * *

><p><em>A dreary mansion stands at the end of a lone wood<em>

_It is a container of hidden, never-ending suffering_

_Ignore the black dove's warning and the white raven's cries,_

_and tomorrow shall mark the first day of hell_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: [UPDATE] I decided to patch this up a little.**

**Inspired by HetaOni.**


	2. Chapter 2: First Day of Hell

**A/N: ChocoRoxiie, nope, no pairings. Implied PruHun though(I only support hetero. No offence).**

* * *

><p>"HEY! What took you guys so long?" Francis called, waving to Gilbert. "We waited so long for you!"<p>

"Isn't it obvious? It's because a certain someone didn't want to come!" Gilbert called back. He and Elizabeta were hauling Roderich out of the wood.

The group was in front of the mansion, as promised. All of them seemed rather willing to explore a seemingly-haunted mansion. Well, with the exception of Roderich.

"Come…on…stupid…aristocrat…trash…" Gilbert huffed as he yanked on Roderich's arm.

"You shouldn't force him…" Ludwig muttered, returning the wave to the beckoning Feliciano.

"Move, Roderich! Gee, you're HEAVY and stubborn, like a mule!" Elizabeta groaned as she tried in vain to make the trembling, protesting aristocrat budge. There was no way she was going to let him chicken out on the 13-nights-in-a-haunted-mansion challenge. She loved challenges. She was influenced to be daring and brave by the boys she hung out with when she was younger, namely Gilbert. The 13-night stay was a dare she wouldn't miss for the world!

"Come on, let's help him," Antonio chuckled, gesturing to Francis, Alfred, Arthur, Lovino and Feliciano. The six boys ran up to the rooted aristocrat.

"On the count of three, we pull," said Arthur. "One…Two…THREE!"

"Ho-… AHH!" Roderich yelped as he was pulled forward hard. Tripping over his own feet, he fell face-flat on the ground. Only Feliciano and Ludwig looked sorry for Roderich and helped him up. Arthur glared at him and dusted himself (even though he was really clean), muttering, "That's for slowing us down, you git," The others collapsed into a heap of uncontrollable laughter.

* * *

><p>He sniffed.<p>

Humans?

He sniffed again. There was no mistake. The earthly laughter, the faint scent, all drifting in the kitchen in the form that could not be conveyed by the five senses.

He dug his long nails into the wooden wall, wanting to burst out any moment. Wood splintered inwards and cut through his nails, causing blood to drip on the stained wooden floor. He snarled, his lips twisting in an ugly smile. Saliva oozed out from the corner of his mouth and onto his worn shirt and trousers.

Though he had his last meal just a couple of weeks before, his hunger was beginning to arise and threatened to consume him. That hunger was a hunger like no other. It was a desire to have more, to consume more, even though he had more than enough.

That hunger was none other than lust.

* * *

><p>Lovino abruptly stopped laughing.<p>

"Hey, stupid jerks… You heard that?" He asked.

"What, _fratello_?" Feliciano asked curiously, cocking his head to one side.

"It sounded like wood breaking. It sounds like it's coming from inside," Lovino replied, his gaze fixated on the mansion. The weird aura emitting from the mansion began to get to him, unnerving him. The mansion couldn't really be haunted… right? Shaking his head, he dismissed it as his hearing failing him.

"Come on! You're making the hero feel all excited!" Alfred enthused, grinning from ear to ear. He nudged Arthur. "Hey, did you mention about your whatchamaycallthat…Witchunting skills?" Alfred asked jokingly.

"Yes. This is the best opportunity to put my Witchunter abilities to good use!" Arthur agreed, not picking up on Alfred's joke.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm going in!" said Gilbert, dashing forward and pushing open the door.

Although the mansion was supposedly old, the interior was still considerably clean. The floor was carpeted and paintings of unfamiliar people and settings, along with countless mirrors with decorative wooden frames, were hung on the wall. As a zephyr blew, the gold chandeliers from the ceiling swung.

"Let's go check upstairs," Ludwig suggested reasonably. The group climbed up the old, creaking stairs and found several bedrooms.

Alfred let out a low whistle as he opened the door to the first room. "Talk about high-class!" he commented.

The room was more or less bare, with scratched paint, but still grand. There was a single four-poster bed in the room with a dresser and a worn, open closet. There was an oval mirror hung on the wall facing the bed, with wooden angels carved onto the frame.

"I'll take this room," Arthur said. "There's enough privacy to practice magic."

"They should ban practicing magic," Francis whispered to Antonio, who chuckled softly in agreement.

The next room had a huge, four-poster bed, a chair, a closet and a wrecked dresser. Just as with the previous room, this room had a mirror as well, but it was more roundish and the frame was carved like vines and flowers surrounding the piece of glass. Gilbert examined the bed.

"This bed's big enough for two people and one person can sleep on the floor," Gilbert said, ignoring Elizabeta's suggestive looks directed at Ludwig and Feliciano.

"We will have to occupy this room," said Francis smoothly, referring to Gilbert, Antonio and himself. "I'm sure the rest of you can manage at the next rooms, _non_?"

Elizabeta smiled and shrugged. "Suits me." She, Ludwig and Feliciano moved on to the next room. The Bad Touch Trio dumped their suitcases on the floor.

"Rule of thumb," said Gilbert after the Bad Touch Trio had unpacked. "Francis can't sleep on the bed."

"But why not, _monsieur_?" Francis asked, pouting.

"Because Gott knows what you'll do to your sleeping buddy when he takes his forty winks," Gilbert smirked. Antonio nodded in agreement. The two gave each other a look, before leaping onto the bed.

"Hey! That's not fair!" Francis protested as Gilbert and Antonio laughed as they exchanged a high-five. "I need to sleep on the bed to maintain the beauty of my body."

"Suck it. It's your fault for being a pervert," Antonio said.

Gilbert scanned the room, his gaze fixated on the intricate mirror. He remembered the decorative mirrors he saw when he entered the mansion. "The owner of this place must have been some mirror maniac."

Francis looked up. "Now that you mention it, I noticed that there're a lot of mirrors in this place. They should've have used the space to beautify this mansion."

Antonio shrugged. "Maybe the owner considered it art?"

* * *

><p>He lifted his head.<p>

His fingers twitched as he heard voices coming from the bedrooms. There were humans here…ten of them. More than enough to satisfy their tastebuds and hunger.

This was perfect. Just over two weeks ago they had five, fresh human souls. Now there were ten. Young, healthy souls that smelt good and left him struggling to keep himself from emerging from the wood of the wall. He smirked.

"Laugh while you can… Your souls will be ours tonight."

* * *

><p>Elizabeta decided to spend the afternoon exploring the mansion. The paintings and the number of mirrors in the mansion evoked her curiosity and interest. She noticed that each mirror frame was carved differently; no two mirrors were entirely alike. Even the materials used to make the frame were just a little different in terms of texture. She touched the frame of a mirror, looking at the wooden sun mounted on top of the frame.<p>

_Why are there so many beautiful mirrors in here? _She thought.

"I wonder if there's any pasta in here…" Feliciano wondered aloud, interrupting Elizabeta's thoughts as he walked into the kitchen.

Elizabeta turned around and giggled. "Even if you find some pasta, I doubt it'll be edible!"

Feliciano pouted for a moment, but smiled. "Ve…This kitchen's really nice!"

The walls were painted cream-gold. A silver chandelier hung from the ceiling. The pots and pans were dusty from years of being untouched, but their handles were decorated intricately. The dining table was long and sturdy, and the sophisticatedly-built chairs were tall and lined with red cushions.

"Hmm… I wonder what's in here," Alfred mused as he seized a pot from a cupboard. He lifted the lid and peered inside.

"Cool! There's a dead rat!"

"Must you that out loud?" Ludwig asked, feeling his stomach twist at the thought of a decomposing rat in a pot where food would go. Feliciano covered his eyes, squealing in fear; he knew Alfred was going to show the world the rat.

"TAH-DAH!" Alfred announced, showing Ludwig and Feliciano the rat. "Isn't it neat?"

"Urgh…" Ludwig said. He frowned. The rat's fur was ruffled and off-colour, but gave off no smell and nothing was growing on its body. Furthermore, the rat had no blood on it. It couldn't be poisoned, since no one lived in the mansion anymore and thus there was no one to lay rat poison.

"The rat looks like it's been killed recently," Ludwig murmured.

Alfred shrugged as he glanced at the dead creature. "Maybe it ate something wrong."

Ludwig nodded slowly. He was still doubtful.

There was nothing much in the mansion for a rat to eat.

"What an exquisite library!" Arthur exclaimed as he entered the library. The walls and towered over him and there were countless shelves, all filled with books neatly arranged in them. The books covered almost every topic of his interest: magic, sorcery, history, even culinary. His interest piqued, Arthur had his heart and mind set on spending the day in the library.

Roderich was walking by just happened to pass by the library. He paused. The library looked like an interesting place to look around. But he shook his head and walked on. Certainly there must be a room that…

Here.

A smile formed on his face as he entered the drawing room. The windows were large and bright sunlight streamed into the room. The floor was lined with a red carpet and a rectangular mirror with lilies carved into its Silver Fir frame. But what caught his attention was the grand piano posed right in the middle of the room.

Roderich walked forward. He ran his fingers along the piano, feeling its smooth material. Although not as good as the pianos of modern day, it was still a beauty and most likely of antique value. Roderich seated himself on the piano seat, and began to play a well-known piece.

As he began to play, soft music floated into the air. He began to relax and he felt at home. To a human, it was beautiful music, soothing to the ears.

But for a reaper who had been waiting, the notes told him that humans were in the mansion. He gently lifted the scythe he was clutching onto. It was time to prepare for a massacre.

* * *

><p><em>Paintings, mirrors, beauty<em>

_Mystery stirs in the mansion_

_But beyond knowledge and beneath the wood,_

_The gods laugh_


	3. Chapter 3: Siren

"Is this enough?"

Gilbert looked up and saw Antonio's arms loaded with sticks.

"_Ja_. That should be enough to last us a few nights," Gilbert nodded.

The Bad Touch Trio had been spending their afternoon collecting firewood. It was pretty un-awesome, but they were 'at least doing something useful'. Gilbert pouted. Sometimes he loved his since-childhood best friend so much that he would want to hug her. Sometimes he hated her so much that he wouldn't mind hating her for the rest of his life. Sometimes she says and does things so unbelievable that he wanted her to wham him with her frying pan just to make sure he wasn't dreaming. Simply put, he hated collecting firewood.

"Come on, let's go. Night's falling," Francis said, jerking his head towards the mansion. The trio headed back in, their arms filled with firewood.

"Took you long enough!" Alfred said. "I'm hungry!"

"Shut up, you big baby. I'm preparing dinner already," Elizabeta retorted from the kitchen. She snatched an armload of sticks from Gilbert, mouthing a word of thanks, and began making a fire with a lighter she brought. The kitchen didn't have a proper stove so she had to cook food the old-fashioned way. A fire began blazing once she threw in a burning stick. She mounted a washed pot filled with clean water on the stove. As the water boiled, she threw in vegetables and beef into the pot.

"I never imagined that I would have to spend the first 13 nights of summer in this mansion," Lovino muttered as he entered the kitchen, his hair still wet from the bath. (There weren't any showers in the bathroom, just a tub to fill water with.)

Feliciano and Ludwig followed Lovino in. "Ve…Something smells good!" Feliciano commented cheerily.

"Looks like the water's boiling faster than usual," Elizabeta grinned. "Great! That means early dinner for all of us!"

Everyone cheered, except for Ludwig, Arthur and Roderich, who nodded, grinning. Perhaps staying in the mansion wouldn't be so bad after all.

* * *

><p>"Thanks for the meal!" Feliciano said.<p>

Everyone had just finished their dinner, leaving the plates and bowls empty. Arthur and Roderich offered to wash the dishes, while the others went back to their bedrooms.

"Sheesh! We didn't get to bathe the whole day!" Gilbert complained, snatching up his clothes from his bag. Just going out to look for firewood in that dead wood had left his back all sticky and damp with sweat. A bath sounded pleasing.

"I'm going first!" Francis said, making a run for the bathroom.

"Hey!" Antonio yelled, trying to beat Francis to the bathroom. But Francis had reached the bathroom first and shut the door behind him.

"Oh, _maldita_…" Antonio muttered as he sat outside the bathroom, legs to his chest. Stupid mansion. There were only two bathrooms in this residence!

Gilbert was still cursing under his breath in German. He sat next to Antonio and had a game of rock-paper-scissors to see who got to shower next. Gilbert won, and he cheered, saying, "Go awesome me!"

A few minutes later, Francis came out of the bathroom, his blonde hair dripping. "Ah, _mes amis_, have you been waiting long?"

"Nope!" Gilbert replied, leaping to his feet. He entered the bathroom, leaving Antonio to think how it would be like to sleep in a haunted mansion.

* * *

><p>"Oh, <em>dios<em>… I'm so tired…" Antonio groaned as he flung himself on the bed.

Gilbert kicked his rear. "Make room for the awesome me!"

It was 10 am and everyone had agreed that it was a good time to go to bed, especially for the Bad Touch Trio. Antonio immediately shifted and readjusted his position in order to make room for Gilbert. Francis sighed as Gilbert climbed onto the bed, gathering the sheets.

"Can you consider swapping Gilbert for me, _monsieurs_?" Francis asked.

"NO!" The two replied in unison. Francis laughed.

"Okay, I was only joking," Francis said. "Well, _bonne nuit_."

"_Buenas noches_," Antonio said with a yawn.

"_Gute nacht_," Gilbert finished, turning off the lamp, letting the light in the room be replaced by total darkness.

* * *

><p>Tick.<p>

That's the grandfather's clock. Night is here.

Tock.

Darkness dominates when the night falls.

You will regret sleeping.

A girl opened her eyes, her aquamarine pupils shining in the darkness.

Claws brushed furiously and impatiently against the worn wood.

Ears listened for a sign of life in the hallway.

A smirk formed on a face.

Feet tapped, waiting.

Waiting.

Waiting.

_Dong._

Midnight.

* * *

><p>"Aah!"<p>

Roderich bolted upright, his eyes wide and his face covered in sweat. He was breathless and he touched his forehead.

"A nightmare…" he whispered to himself. He looked around. Moonlight shone on Ludwig and Elizabeta's bodies, which were heaving from sleep. Shaking his head, Roderich slowly got up from bed, and groped for his torchlight.

There was just silence and slight darkness hanging in the air. He found his torchlight and switched it on. Night breathed as he opened the door with a 'click', and went downstairs. There was no sign of life around other than the flickering, weak candlelight coming from the kitchen. The beam from his torchlight shone on the dining table, where a jug of water and a few glasses stood. Setting his torch on the table, Roderich poured some water into a glass. The sound of the water gushing into the glass seemed so ear-piercing and loud.

So loud that he didn't notice another soul approaching.

As Roderich gulped down his water, he felt something heavy and warm grab his shoulder. Fear leapt on him and instantaneously, he was forcefully turned around.

Silence left as the sound of glass shattering and his scream split the air.

* * *

><p>"UUUAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"<p>

Ludwig's eyes snapped open. He sat up quickly and turned around. He realised the absence of his friend. "Roderich!"

He leapt out of bed and shook Elizabeta awake. "Elizabeta, wake up! Roderich's crying for help!"

Elizabeta immediately woke up. "What?"

She leapt to her feet. She and Ludwig ran out of their room. They saw the Bad Touch Trio, Arthur and Alfred awake and heading downstairs.

"You heard that?" Gilbert asked.

Elizabeta nodded.

Everyone raced downstairs. Candlelight lit the entire mansion. Elizabeta made a sharp turn for the kitchen. She felt her heart hammering hard against her chest. She halted at the doorway.

"What's going…"

She gasped. Back propped against a table leg, fresh blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, a shattered glass at his feet and sitting on a puddle of his own blood, was Roderich.

"What…happened?" Elizabeta stammered, colour draining from her face. She felt her legs lose feeling but before they gave way, she felt someone gently supporting her back, keeping her upright. It took her a moment to realise that it was Gilbert.

"Gil…"

"Don't worry, it's going to be okay," Gilbert said reassuringly, his crimson eyes staring right back at her emerald ones. She had never seen him this serious before.

"We should go and get help," Arthur said, kneeling in front of Roderich. Antonio nodded and ran towards the back door.

"But…how come?" Elizabeta asked herself softly. "Why isn't he trying to…"

"GUYS!" Antonio yelled, bursting into the kitchen. He was breathless and his face was a ghostly pale. "The back door's locked!"

"What?" Arthur exclaimed. Ludwig and Lovino began trying the windows, which they noticed were suddenly closed. Lovino rattled each window, but all of them were locked.

"Even the windows are locked," Antonio whispered. 'That means…"

Gilbert let out a heavy breath of disbelief. "We're trapped."


	4. Chapter 4: Daylight Dream

"What do you mean we're trapped?" Elizabeta demanded. Feliciano burst into noisy sobs.

"Oh no! We're trapped! Someone save us! I don't want to be trapped in this creepy, haunted mansion forever!" Feliciano wailed.

"Alright, which one of you bastards locked us in, huh? Come on, dammit, own up!" Lovino raged, glaring daggers at the people in the room. "Just tell me who locked us in!"

"But that doesn't make any sense," Arthur murmured, trying to reason out. "Everyone's in here, right? Meaning that if someone _did _lock us out from the outside, they would be locked out as well, right? There aren't any keys found in this mansion."

"S-stop s-scaring us, dude. It's so not cool," Alfred stammered, laughing nervously.

"Come on, let's go tend to Roderich," said Ludwig. He and Gilbert carried Roderich back to his room, where Antonio gave them a roll of bandages and a tube of antiseptic.

Antonio silently helped Ludwig and Gilbert wrap some gauze and bandages around Roderich's back. He looped the bandages over Roderich's shoulder. As he did, he looked at the wound. It was of an odd shape. It was long, as long as Roderich's back. It was quite deep from the top of the wound, where Roderich's shoulder cap was, but got shallower as it stretched to the bottom. What could cause such a wound…?

"He's coming to!" Ludwig whispered as she saw Roderich's eyebrows furrowing. He slowly opened his eyes. He slowly shook his head and groaned in pain, touching his forehead.

"Where… where are they?" he asked.

"Who?" Gilbert asked.

"I-I don't know," Roderich answered, cringing a little. "There were people before… I don't know. It all happened so fast."

"Start from the beginning," Ludwig said slowly.

"I woke up from a nightmare and went to the kitchen to get some water. That was when someone grabbed my shoulder," Roderich continued. "I was turned around and saw… people. Their silhouettes, that is. I didn't know how many people were there, I just knew they were trouble. I yelled for help, but the one who turned me around stuck his hand in my mouth, and when I put on a struggle, I just saw light flashing in front of me… followed by excruciating pain from my right shoulder down. That was when I noticed the hand in my mouth was gone, and that I was able to find my voice and scream in pain… It all happened in… about a minute," Roderich finished, touching his bandaged shoulder.

An awkward silence hung in the room for a few minutes.

"Sounds silly and illogical," Gilbert broke the silence.

"How so, _Bruder_?" Ludwig asked carefully.

"Let the awesome me explain this," Gilbert cleared his throat. "Firstly, why would anyone stick his hand down Roderich's throat? Has he got a gold stick in his gullet or something? And furthermore, you'll just get your hands dirty. Secondly, why would anyone want to hurt Roderich? Very unreasonable. It makes no sense!"

"_Sí_," Antonio agreed, his voice returning to him. "Did you see his wound? It's very strange. Who could you have hurt you like that?"

Roderich shook his head slowly, saying, "I don't know, I really don't."

Just then, Alfred burst into the room. "We've got enough food supplies to last us about 5 days!"

Gilbert leapt up. "That won't even last us half of 13 days!" he exclaimed. He froze and sighed as he sat back down, burying his face into his hands. "This is all my fault, I shouldn't have gotten any of you into this.

"Now's not the time to blame yourself," said Antonio, patting Gilbert's shoulder. "Now is the time to find out how we're going to cope with an injured man, five-day's worth of food and water and a total of ten people who are trapped in an abandoned mansion at the end of a dead wood!"

* * *

><p>"Why didn't they mention us?" a young man asked, his arm dangling over his propped up leg. He began licking his damp hand, letting his own saliva as well as his victim's drip.<p>

"They don't know we're here, you idiot," the other man, who was slightly taller, appeared slightly older and had a slightly darker skin complexion glared across the room. "And why did you have to hurt the man, Diean?"

"It was to shut him up," Diean replied almost nonchalantly. "After all, Alosis was pretty rash himself."

"I was freaking hungry! I could practically _hear_ his soul calling out to me!" Alosis protested.

"Hey, now's not the time to argue," a fourth man, shorter than the other three, interjected. "We've got ten souls waiting to be consumed. They'll most probably die like the other five."

"Kougar's right," the only female in the room whispered, her voice monotone. "They won't survive long, especially with us around."

"So when can we pounce on them and eat them up? I only take organic and I'm famished!" Diean said, standing up.

"Let's not get too hasty here," the girl said, looking up. "Each of us have our own ways to consume souls. I know you all are hungry for more, and a golden opportunity like this is hard to come by, but…"

"We can't be rash," the second man finished. "They may be humans, but I can tell they're pretty sharp. Is that what you mean, Maria?"

The girl nodded. "You mustn't be too impatient. Especially you two, Alosis and Diean. Saerel and Kougar, please take care of those two."

Diean scoffed. "I won't be hasty next time. But I'll only keep that promise if I get to see them suffer like this first, and butcher them until they're all mangled up after they die."

Saerel sighed. "Always the sadist, aren't you Diean? But I won't restrain you." Saerel looked up, and saw the silver crescent moon hanging still in the navy sky, choked heavily by grey clouds. "Soon, what will be left of them will be empty bodies, just soulless, lifeless shells."

* * *

><p><em>The wound and the locked entrances and exits<em>

_Are not warnings; they are signs_

_Signs that they are approaching, waiting_

_Don't sleep, don't daze off, don't die._

_If you can_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Phew…End of Chapter 4! And ChocoRoxiie, thanks for reviewing again! Sorry, I'm not really a fan of yaoi and yuri pairings… I prefer not to write about hetero pairings either because I'm not very good at romances. So about this fic… The bad guys are modified OCs, personalities and names changed to fit the story.**


	5. Chapter 5: Who Are You?

No one could sleep well the whole night.

Feliciano and Antonio tried to sleep, but Roderich's mystery attacker scared them into staying awake for most of the night. Francis, Gilbert, Ludwig, Arthur, Alfred and Elizabeta had nightmares throughout, and woke up several times at night. If they were not having bad dreams, they were tossing and turning in their beds. Roderich's injury left his back hurting and gave him discomfort when he lied down.

Only Lovino remained wide awake.

He lingered in the kitchen. A strange feeling kept his eyes open. A strange feeling that they were all being watched.

_Damn! _He thought. _Why can't I sleep?_

He tried counting sheep in his head. He began playing boring tunes on his iPod. None of them gave him the urge to even lie down.

"Dammit!" He hit his head against the wall hard. He winced at the pain. Why couldn't he sleep? Why did he have this feeling that sleep will bring upon death? Why did he feel so insecure?

Most unsettling, why did he feel they were not the only ones in the mansion?

* * *

><p>It was a peaceful, autumn morning. Pale gold light streamed through the window. The remaining leaves of the trees outside rustled outside.<p>

She was seated on an antique chair, carved intricately, mirroring the Victorian ages. Her soft, light blue dress was long, reaching almost to her ankles. The skirt was white and crisp. Elizabeta savoured the serenity of that autumn morning as she opened her book. She closed her eyes and began picturing mountains and amber leaves.

_Peace is beautiful_, a small, faraway voice that wasn't hers whispered.

Elizabeta heard the voice, but ignored it. She shook her head and opened her eyes. She rested her book on her lap.

Only to find her skirt stained with large patches of blood.

She stood up in shock. Only to find she couldn't stand up. A piecing pain grazed into her neck and she felt like choking. She gagged as she heard a clatter of something metal as she tried to stand. She managed to turn her head around a small angle.

She saw a chain tied to the chair. The other end was wrung around her neck.

_Peace is beautiful. _This time the voice was closer. Elizabeta turned her head around. A strangled gasp escaped her throat.

There, standing in front of her, was a girl around her age, in her clothes. The girl had long hair in a shade of brown much darker than the colour of Elizabeta's hair. A frayed, bright yellow ribbon was tied at each side of the girls head.

The girl looked up. Her eyes were shadowed. A huge grin appeared on her face.

_Peace is beautiful._

_But company is better._

* * *

><p>Elizabeta screamed.<p>

She huffed. She was out of breath, as if she just ran a marathon. Her face was pale. Just then, Gilbert rushed into the room.

"Eliza! Are you okay?" Gilbert asked worriedly. .

"Y-yeah, I think so," Elizabeta stammered back a reply. She touched her forehead, not surprised to find it wet. She hugged herself, feeling… frightened. That dream was so real, as if she was standing there all that time, breathing. She could almost hear that girl's voice. In fact, she half-expected the girl to be standing next to her bed.

Gilbert kneeled beside her bed. "Was it a nightmare?"

Elizabeta nodded. "Yes. I was in a room, reading. It was autumn, in the morning. It was so beautiful, just being in the sunlight in a cosy room and reading. But… The clothes I wore," she swallowed. "were not mine and were bloodstained."

Gilbert's crimson eyes widened at this. "Continue."

"I realised I was chained to the chair I was sitting on. Then, I-I saw a girl. She was around our age, maybe a year or two older. She had been whispering 'Peace is beautiful' throughout the dream. She was in my clothes, and she gave me this smile. The sort that tells you you're going to die soon." Elizabeta finished, still shuddering. "The last sentence she said, 'Company is better'… I don't know, but I feel we're not the only ones here."

Gilbert squeezed her shivering hand. "Don't worry, Eliza. It's just a nightmare. It's not real."

Elizabeta bit her lip, wondering why she had referred to her nightmare as 'dream', as though there was nothing out-of-the-ordinary about it. Was it a warning? A message, perhaps? She sniffed as she nodded. "I hope so, Gil. I hope so."

* * *

><p>No one had the appetite to eat much that morning.<p>

Arthur and Francis divided the food, but no one wanted to eat. Even Feliciano, who always insisted on having breakfast, wasn't in the mood of eating. Lovino looked more tired than usual and napped on the table, but no one said anything. Gilbert and Antonio played with their packets of crackers. In the end, breakfast just turned out to be a glass of water for everyone.

Later, everyone tried using their mobile phones to call for help. But they received no signal.

"That's weird," Alfred muttered, tapping his phone. "I could prank call Mattie yesterday from the mansion."

"We're cut off from the outside world," Arthur concluded in dismay. "Until someone finds us, we're trapped."

Everyone remained silent. Somehow, they knew this stay would not turn out well.

To lighten up the mood, Alfred called a few people to play Go Fish and non-gambling Poker in his room. Everyone except the Bad Touch Trio joined in the games. The trio stayed in their room, thinking.

"Eliza had an odd nightmare," Gilbert told his friends. "Something about an autumn morning, a room to read in and some girl."

Francis frowned. "Strange. I had a nightmare too."

Gilbert and Antonio listened attentively as Francis began. "I was in the mansion, all alone. I was walking around aimlessly. I went into the kitchen to get some water. That was when I saw a man, around our age. His eyes were blacked out, but he was in an old dress shirt and torn trousers. He was looking at me as if… he wanted to kill me. He approached me and he whispered into my ear, 'Wait for me'."

Antonio's eyes widened. "Your nightmare seems very real."

Francis nodded slowly. "It was. I-I know I may sound stupid but…" He let out a breath of air. "I felt the man's breath against my cheek."

Antonio and Gilbert doubled over in astonishment and disbelief.

"Are you sure?" Gilbert asked, laughing nervously. "I-It's not that awesome to l-lie about somethin' like that, you know. I mean, seriously. _You felt his breath?_"

"I'm serious, _monsieurs_," Francis gave the other two a grave look. His expression was serious. "Everything about that dream was so real. That man… I can swear on my life that he is listening to use right now, laughing away."

* * *

><p>"You scared him pretty well. I'm impressed, I must say," Diean smirked.<p>

"Humph. I'm straightforward and serious, unlike you," Alosis retorted. "I could have sucked out his soul in that dream, but I didn't as I didn't want to spoil the surprise."

"Well, I'd like to scare my prey," Diean said. "Just like I did with that guy. We locked him in with the other four, remember?"

Saerel chuckled. "That was quite fun."

"I sent him dreams that he would be 'next to die'. The shock came when I killed him last!" Diean laughed maniacally. Saerel looked at him. That was how Diean was. He enjoyed toying around his prey before leaping on them.

"How about your dream, Maria? What did you tell her?" Kougar asked, turning away from Diean.

"Nothing much," Maria replied softly. "I just told her we'll be coming, that's all."

"Can we start the hunt today?" Saerel asked. A sly grin played across his face. "After all, I'd like to finish them off within the remains of their thirteen days."

"There are twelve days left now," said Kougar. "But we will strike today or tomorrow at latest. I doubt our hunger can restrain themselves that long."

"Can we make a deal?" Diean, who had just abruptly stopped laughing, asked. "Can we each take just two souls? Because the other time Alosis took two souls and Kougar ended up having no soul."

"Ok, _fine_, I'll just take two souls this time," said Alosis. "No more, no less."

"Two souls are more than enough," Saerel agreed. He smiled, savouring the silence for a while. "They will wait for us, won't they?"

* * *

><p><em>Today or tomorrow,<em>

_No one knows when they will strike_

_Will they consume their prey quickly, painlessly and upon their own hollow hearts,_

_Or will they kill and bestow blood upon the moon?_


	6. Chapter 6: Soul

The sun seemed to set earlier than usual. The golden sun laid on the horizon, dying the sky a rich shade of amber. The once-white clouds were now blushed with topaz. Against the backdrop, the dead trees were a deep grey. A crow perched itself on a wobbling, unsteady branch, cawing.

Arthur was in the library, reading a book about magic and sorcery. He hoped he could take his mind of the slight disturbance that had been running throughout the mansion. The pages of the book he was holding were slightly yellow with age and the words were cursive and handwritten. He slowly turned the pages, hoping to find another way to unlock a door. He had tried an unlocking spell he knew of earlier, but it didn't work. Alfred suggested that magic did not exist in the first place, but Arthur refused to believe that. He would just have to keep trying.

"There's nothing in here," he sighed after going through the book. He shut the book and placed it back on the shelf. Even the words of a wise magician of back then did not help him.

But he did not leave the library. He stepped back and began scanning it. It was a large library with tall shelves of endless rows of books. There _had _to be a book that could help. Sighing, Arthur turned his attention to the other things in the library. Standing on a carpeted floor was a chair, carved intricately with the armrests curling up into lion's paws. The armrests were decorated so intricately that every wrinkle of each curled paw was detailed. A golden chandelier swung from the ceiling. The last of daylight streamed through the window. And then there was a mysterious mirror. Its frame was made from Scots Pine, according to a book Arthur had read in the library, and carved into its surface were dragons with scaly wings and curled claws.

"It's so peaceful here," Arthur whispered to himself.

From somewhere, he heard something clattering.

Arthur whipped around.

"The hell…"

He swore that he just saw a silhouette walk past the doorway of the library, wielding a scythe with chains.

Instinctively, Arthur ran out of the library and chased after the figure.

'Hey, you!" He called. He skidded to a halt and his eyes widened in disbelief.

"Huh…?"

Aside from what he saw earlier, there was no proof that the silhouette had existed.

* * *

><p>"Gah, isn't there any other food in this mansion?" Lovino grumbled as he looked through the cupboards in the kitchen.<p>

"But _fratello_, we've searched everywhere! There's no other food in this mansion other than the food we already have!" Feliciano protested.

"There's _got _to be at least a rat to kill," Francis said as he peered under the dining table. Antonio sighed. Gilbert flopped on the floor in frustration.

"Damn, isn't there even some bread?" Gilbert complained, leaning back to rest himself against the wall. They had been looking for other food in the mansion to eat, but they could not even find a rat. It was getting on everyone's nerves. As Gilbert slowly relaxed, he felt something protruding press into his back. He turned around and saw a tiny, rounded doorknob.

"Hey guys! I think I found a cupboard!" Gilbert called over his shoulder. Immediately, Francis, Antonio, Lovino and Feliciano rushed over, wondering what may be inside.

Gilbert pressed his ear against the wall, knocking it. An echo-like sound came in response. It was hollow. Definitely a cupboard. Gilbert grabbed the doorknob, and yanked the cupboard open.

"CLOSE IT!" a figure from inside barked.

"The hell…?" Gilbert said, immediately retreating from the cupboard in shock, which was actually a tiny space. Feliciano gripped onto Lovino's shoulder in fear. Everyone backed away from the space.

"Darn, Alosis… You blew our cover!" A hollow voice which seemed to be coming from above yelled angrily.

"Why must you choose to conceal yourself in that place anyway?" A second voice said.

"Because unlike the rest of you, I can't hide in wood or mirrors!" The voice from the space in the wall shouted back.

"Ah well… No point hiding anymore, right?" A third voice said. At that moment, four figures materialised.

A young man with tufty, messy black hair about Gilbert's age emerged from the space in the wall, dressed in a creased, white dress shirt and black slacks.

"That's the man from my dream!" Francis hissed. The man heard this and grinned.

"Nice to meet you. Name's Lust Eater," The man said, licking his hands, which were coated in fresh blood.

Another man, who looked slightly older than Lust Eater and even resembled him in some ways, was perched on the top cupboard. He had one, gleaming emerald eye and one black eye and was dressed smartly in a buttoned black vest over a white dress shirt and black trousers. He smiled slightly. "My name is Shadow Mirage. Pleased to meet your acquaintance."

A third man who sat cross legged on the kitchen counter smirked. He had matted dark brown hair that stood up slightly. There was a dried line of blood tracing down the corner of his mouth and several scars on his exposed arms. He was wearing a collared, button-down shirt with short sleeves, a tie with a strange-looking cross on it and black trousers. He was clutching onto a scythe with a black, bloodstained blade and long chains.

"Call me Screw Hunter," he said. At that very moment, his scythe shone and materialised into a young man with a gentle expression and dressed in similar clothes to Screw Hunter. He bowed.

"My name's Black Blade. We'll try to make your deaths painless, ok?" he said, smiling softly.

Just then, Elizabeta, Ludwig, Roderich, Arthur and Alfred burst into the kitchen. "We heard noises," Elizabeta explained. "We came because…" She gasped.

The fifth and last figure was a lady her age, sitting with her knees to her chest on the dining table. Long, dark brown hair cascaded down her back and the yellow ribbons in her hair fluttered gently. Her long, light blue, bloodstained dress almost reached her ankles. She was barefoot and there were chains tied around her neck. She turned to see Elizabeta.

"Elizabeta Héderváry," The lady whispered. "It is the first time I have seen you in person… In reality. And by the way, my name is Maria."

Elizabeta shuddered, her fingers twitching. It was that girl.

"So… who's first?" Lust Eater asked, licking his lips. He turned to Francis and smirked. "I shouldn't be asking that, because I've already decided."

"What do—URMPH!" Francis was interrupted as Lust Eater appeared in front of him in a blink of an eye, his hand in Francis' mouth. Roderich gasped.

"That was what he did to me!" Roderich said.

"You remember? Have you ever wondered why?" Lust Eater asked, smirking. He turned back to Francis. Francis felt his hand slide down his throat, choking him. Francis made strangled noises. Quivering with hatred for these newcomers, Gilbert snatched a knife from the counter and hurled it at Lust Eater. But just before the knife could reach him, Lust Eater grabbed it by the blade without bleeding.

"Don't interrupt," Maria said softly. She raised her hand. Suddenly, the humans collapsed to the floor, hands bound behind their backs by invisible ropes.

"B-binding magic?" Arthur said in disbelief as he struggled.

"Heh heh, got it," Lust Eater announced. The whites in Francis' eyes appeared, and all life was drained out from them. Lust Eater drew his hand out from Francis' throat. Lust Eater was holding a black ball enveloped in blue-white, fluorescent flames.

"W-what's that?" Antonio asked.

Lust Eater's grin got wider. "His soul."


	7. Chapter 7: Bloodspill

"N-no, it can't be…" Gilbert whispered.

Lust Eater released his grip on Francis, who landed on the floor in a lifeless heap. Lust Eater smirked as he held the soul above his mouth.

"D-don't eat it!" Antonio shouted as he and Gilbert began struggling violently. But Lust Eater had already begun licking the soul. He enjoyed seeing the humans scream as he played with his food. He opened his mouth and slowly pushed the soul in it. The humans began yelling and begging him to stop. But the other five enjoyed seeing the humans suffer and beg as Lust Eater swallowed the soul.

"Tastier than I thought," Lust Eater muttered, licking his lips.

"No!" Gilbert shouted.

"You're making us all hungry already! Hey Maria, can you release your binding spell?" Diean asked. "I'd like to chase my prey around first before consumption."

Maria stared at him, almost in disbelief. "Very well," she whispered. She snapped her fingers and in an instant, the invisible ropes snapped and vanished.

Instinctively, the humans made a dash for the front door.

"Dammit!" Alfred cursed as he tried opening the door. The door rattled but stubbornly refused to open. "It can't be now!"

Arthur desperately tried a release and unlocking spell, but even those did not unlock the door.

"Give up. The door's locked by a special magic," a voice behind them said. They turned to see Diean standing in front of them, his scythe resting on his right shoulder. His left hand was clutching onto the chains of the scythe. He swung the chains, causing them to clatter as they knocked against each other.

"Stay back!" Arthur warned as he thrust himself in front of the others.

"What are you doing? Stay back!" Ludwig warned.

Arthur ignored him and began chanting solemnly. "_Egeus jan morsiusel kouringer…_"

Diean raised an eyebrow and let out a dry laugh. "A summoning spell?" he scoffed. "So what are you going to summon? A fire-breathing crow?" he taunted

"…_Nesil dank hoyden!_" Arthur finished the chanting and a flaming green circle with strange writings and figures appeared on the floor. A strong wind howled and grey smoke was emitted from the magic circle. A blinding light shone and the ground shook slightly as smoke enveloped the room. The humans began coughing.

"What the…?" Ludwig said in disbelief as the smoke cleared.

Bloodshot eyes shone among the smoke. With a growl and a swipe of a tail, the smoke was cleared. Now standing in the room, was a crimson red dragon with hooked claws and huge wings. Its back was spiked and it growled, showing a row of yellow teeth. Diean gritted his teeth and swapped to an attacking stance.

"_Senkon margioulth, _attack!" Arthur commanded.

The dragon leapt forward and sprung on Diean. A smile formed on Diean's lips.

He brought his scythe above his head as the dragon leapt towards him. Suddenly, Diean brought down the scythe.

There was a howl of pain as the dragon collapsed on the ground, a fatal wound seen extending from its neck down to its tail. Diean smirked as the dragon roared in pain and vanished into smoke.

"W-what…how…?" Arthur blinked in disbelief.

"You may already know this, but whatever creature you summon is summoned through your physical energy and blood. The summoned creature's overall strength and power depends on how much energy and blood you give it." Diean smirked. "If that dragon you summoned was strong, you should be on the floor now, half-dead."

Arthur gritted his teeth. These… beings knew so much. They could send dreams and possess much knowledge about magic. Just… Just who were they?

Diean ambled casually towards the humans, chains dragging on the floor. The humans stayed glued to the spot, not knowing what to do. Diean smirked.

"Now… come on. Don't be afraid. I'll just take two souls out of the remaining nine…" Diean said, smiling as he extended a hand.

Elizabeta slowly stepped back and slipped her hands into the pockets of her dress and began feeling for something. She suddenly felt something small and hard in her right pocket. She secretly fished it out. A Swiss Army knife.

Taking a risk, she drew back her right hand, and aimed for Diean's leg. She opened the knife and the razor sharp tools popped out. Everyone seemed totally unaware of what she was doing. As for Diean, he was too absorbed into choosing the right soul to consume. She aimed for his right ankle. _Come on… Almost there…_She then flung the knife.

Be it a miracle or ordinary luck, the knife went right through Diean's calf.

Diean howled as he dropped his scythe, which turned back into Kougar.

"Diean, are you okay?" Kougar asked.

"Does it look like it?" Diean shouted back angrily. He glared daggers at the humans, who were all standing seemingly innocent. "Ok, which fucking one of you threw this fucking knife? Come on! Who fucking did it?" Diean yelled, wincing as he pulled the knife out of his bleeding calf. Blood gushed out.

"Run!" Elizabeta hissed. Her friends didn't need to be told twice. They turned and sprinted towards the back door, with no time to waste.

"Where are you going?" The three other unknown beings appeared right in front of the back door. Lust Eater smirked. The humans slowly drew back as they approached.

"Don't go yet," Shadow Mirage said. "We still have yet to show you our hospitality."

"Keep away from us!" Lovino shouted furiously.

Maria shook her head slowly. "Play with us," she whispered. She lifted her hand, and suddenly the humans were split in groups of three. The humans blinked as blood-red smoke wrapped them, and they felt as if they were falling, falling.

Forever right into darkness.

* * *

><p><em>You ignored their warnings,<em>

_So one of you died_

_They are not satisfied, for they want more than souls_

_They want blood to spill._

_Human's blood_


	8. Chapter 8: The Looking Glass Game

Falling… Falling…

"OWW! DAMMIT!" Lovino yelped in pain as he landed on his bottom. He saw his younger brother and Ludwig land on the black-and-white checked floor stomach-first. Groaning and muttering some profanities in Italian, Lovino got up and dusted himself.

"Oww… That hurt," Feliciano murmured. He and Ludwig got to their feet. Ludwig looked around. The walls were blood red and even the air had a heavy, crimson feel to it. He saw Lust Eater seated on a chair at the far end of the room, smirking, left leg propped up on his right. In front of him was a small, round table.

"Where did you take us?" Ludwig demanded.

"Is that what guests are supposed to say? Sit down and have some tea," A dangerous, sinister smile formed on Lust Eater's face. He gestured to three chairs, identical to the one he was sitting on. Gingerly, the three humans seated themselves on the chairs. Ludwig noticed that Lust Eater's clothes had changed. His outfit was completely neatened up. His dress shirt was slightly creased and clean, and he wore a black, buttoned vest and black necktie over it. His trousers looked brand new and his shoes were polished. His hands were covered with white gloves. He didn't look like Lust Eater anymore. He looked like a butler.

A butler who would serve in a mansion.

Lust Eater snapped his fingers and four empty teacups and a teapot appeared. The teapot tipped itself, pouring steaming tea into the cups. The cups then served themselves to the guests. Hands shaking, Feliciano nervously sipped his tea. Lovino and Ludwig eyed Lust Eater suspiciously as they drank their tea.

"Let's play a game," Lust Eater murmured as he lowered his cup after taking a sip.

"What game?" Lovino asked carefully.

"A game where you'll have to find a hidden key. This key is hidden in one container among seven. The only way to see which container the key is in is by making the container lose its physical form. You have to find the key in half an hour. This game will take place in the very mansion where you wanted to spend 13 nights in," Lust Eater smiled. "The 'containers' are humans, by the way."

Ludwig nearly choked on his tea. Lovino would preferably spit the tea all over Lust Eater, wiping that smirk off his face. "Humans?" Ludwig muttered. "Not real ones, right?"

"Who knows? Perhaps among these seven humans more than one is real," Lust Eater said, smiling as the teapot tipped itself again.

"W-what happens if we don't find the key in time?" Feliciano asked, stammering.

"Then I'll take your souls. I'll pick one to eat, and give the other two away," Lust Eater grinned. "But if you win, you get to keep your souls as well as have that Francis' back. Fair?"

A silence fell. This… No. No! It was wrong to play with lives. They knew that. But Feliciano took in the worst.

"What… What should we do?" Feliciano asked, close to tears. "I want Big Brother Francis back but…"

"We accept," said Ludwig.

"Eh?" Feliciano exclaimed. Lovino nodded slowly. _It's the only way to get Francis-bastard's soul back…_

Lust Eater nodded. "Very well," he said. He snapped his fingers.

In an instant, the three humans were in the mansion, with Lust Eater nowhere to be seen, but his voice clearly heard. Everything about the mansion seemed the same.

"Your time to find the key starts…now!"

There was silence at first. Ludwig and Lovino looked around while Feliciano panicked. Then, the first human ambled from the kitchen. It was Alfred! He jerked his head up, his expression of shock and his voice desperate.

"You wouldn't kill me, right? Don't kill me!" he pleaded. Feliciano stepped back.

"W-we wouldn't kill you! See, we've got… AAH!" Feliciano gasped as he realized he was clutching on an embroidered dagger with a gleaming silver blade. Ludwig and Lovino realized that they here holding onto similar daggers.

"We put your trust in you! I helped you, only to be repaid by death? Can you even be considered my friends?" A familiar voice behind them shouted. The three humans whipped around to see Arthur shedding angry tears, hands balled up into fists and teeth gritted.

Lovino was speechless. "Arth-…"

"Reflect on your behaviour at once! We wanted to help each other get out of here… all of us… alive! But now you intend to kill us?" Roderich yelled angrily from the top of the staircase.

"What are you guys doing? We all want to get out of here alive! But you want to kill us, so that just three of you can survive?" Elizabeta shouted at them, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Elizabeta…" Ludwig began.

"Lovi! Feli! Do you really want to kill me? We're _amigos_, _hermanos_, right?" Antonio cried from the top level, biting his lip.

"Toni-bastard…" Lovi whispered. By then all this was too much for Feliciano to bear. He dropped his dagger and buried his face into his hands, weeping. But there had yet to be the worst for Ludwig.

"LUD! DON'T KILL ME, PLEASE! I'M YOUR _BRUDER_!" Gilbert, who was standing next to Antonio, yelled, his voice choked and hoarse from tears and his face red from crying.

"_Bruder_…" Ludwig whispered, his heart beginning to ache.

"Dammit! We don't know if they're real!" Lovino cursed, throwing his dagger on the ground. There was a clatter. The containers continued begging for mercy, not wanting to be killed.

"I-I c-can't k-kill a-anybody, even if they're not real!" Feliciano wailed. "I just can't!"

* * *

><p>Walls the colour of the night sky.<p>

Dead, rotting bodies slumped against the walls like abandoned puppets.

A mirror hung on the wall, possessing mystery.

And in the middle sat five beings, two not being human.

"What do you mean by 'game'?" Gilbert demanded through gritted teeth. Screw Hunter grinned.

"Lust Eater has engaged your younger brother, Feliciano and Lovino Vargas into a game," Screw Hunter repeated his sentence. "The stakes are souls. They win, they get back Francis' soul as well as keep their own. They lose, Lust Eater will be treating us to dinner."

"We know that," Elizabeta muttered. "Gil's just asking why you're toying with us, with lives. Living and souls are not playthings in which you can just drag into playing with!"

"That's true. We shouldn't play with our food. Only monsters do that," Black Blade smiled broadly. "Monsters like us, that is."

Screw Hunter snapped his fingers and the surface of the only mirror in the room shone. Gilbert heard muffled noises coming from the mirror. He approached the mirror and saw Feliciano, Lovino and Ludwig in the mansion surrounded by 'them'.

"LUD!" Gilbert yelled. Elizabeta and Roderich rushed over to the mirror, and were shocked at seeing their copies.

"What did you do?" Roderich demanded, furious.

"Lust Eater was the one who lifted his fingers, not me," Screw Hunter said as he produced a cup of tea and a plate of biscuits from thin air. "There's about 25 minutes left until the game ends. If they don't find the key before them, it's game over."

"LUD, LUD! CAN YOU HEAR ME? DON'T BE FOOLED! I'M HERE! LUD!" Gilbert screamed into the mirror.

"They can't hear you," Black Blade said, sipping tea from a teacup which he drew from nothing. "This mirror is only meant to let you see what's in the mansion and vice versa. But never to carry across messages."

Elizabeta's eyes widened as realisation dawned on her. She suddenly remembered the mirrors with the decorative frames in the mansion. "Do you mean that…?"

Screw Hunter smirked. "Now do you see the purpose of the mirrors?"

"Damn! Get away from us!" Lovino yelled, snatching up his dagger and swinging it. He didn't dare use the dagger against these containers. What if some of them were real? He didn't want to think of the consequences if he stabbed a real human.

"You have 10 minutes left…" Lust Eater laughed.

"W-we have to make a kill now!" Ludwig said. Wait, did he just say that? Feliciano looked up.

"But what if we really killed them?" Feliciano choked on his tears.

"We d-don't h-have a choice," Lovino stuttered. He felt like hitting himself. Why did he say that? Why, why, WHY? He didn't want to kill, fearing that they were real. Yet he wanted to save everyone, including the dead Francis. If he killed, they could find the key and win, but in the end it may just be the three of them who would survive and get out of the mansion still breathing, bringing regret with them. He stepped back, and felt his back brush against a mirror. Light bounced of the blade of his dagger. Suddenly his blade turned deep green. Or rather, his blade was reflecting light from something that was deep green.

"W-what the…?" he murmured in disbelief as the interior of a room with walls of dark, black-green and five figures blurred by distance appeared from his blade.

It was a reflection from a mirror.

His eyes widened in shock.

"T-this… it can't be…"


	9. Chapter 9: Tainted Bonds

"An ace and ten of diamonds," Shadow Mirage announced as he placed his five cards on a black table top. "You shouldn't have traded cards with me, Maria."

Maria shook her head. She placed down her five cards. In her hand were a three of diamonds, six of spades, a five of clovers, a queen of diamonds and a blank card. She turned to the three humans in the room.

Arthur, Alfred and Antonio were bound tightly with rope that bit into their ankles and wrists. Worst still, they were hanging upside down like bats and were in reach of the other two beings.

Maria extended her hand and touched Alfred's pale cheek. Alfred swallowed and he felt shivers running down his spine as her cold finger ran down to the corner of his lips. Her finger lifted and dug itself into Alfred's skin. Alfred bit his lips, trying to suppress his urge to howl in pain.

Maria trailed her blood-tipped finger on her blank card, painting a blood-red ace. She smiled.

"I win, Saerel."

Shadow Mirage grinned. "You're better than I thought," he turned to the hanging three humans. "I'm so sorry you three had nothing to do. You must be bored. But then again, you must be watching your three friends suffer, not wanting to kill 'you'."

Arthur spat. "That game makes me sick. You can't just make Feliciano, Lovino and Ludwig do this. It's inhumane!"

"Tell that to Lust Eater. We're all enjoying this, aren't we?" Maria's smile was sickeningly sweet. She made a cup of tea appear from thin air, and sipped it delicately.

"No! _We're _not enjoying this at all!" Alfred snapped. "Let… us… go!"

Shadow Mirage shook his head. "I don't think so. Not until the game is over," he grinned. "Fortunately, there's only…"

* * *

><p>"Three minutes left!" Lust Eater wild cackle echoed through the mansion.<p>

With Feliciano weeping helplessly on the floor and Ludwig frozen by fear of killing his brother, there seemed to be no hope. But Lovino was not going to give up. Not now. Not when he thought he found a lead into winning this crazed game.

He followed the reflection on his blade, forcefully shoving away the containers with its hilt. He stumbled clumsily into the kitchen, lifting his blade. His gaze ran from the reflection on his dagger to the mirror hanging on the cracked wall.

He ran forward. Then he saw it.

Not a reflection of himself. Not a reflection of his surroundings. But an image of a room, with walls painted black-green, the jerks who introduced themselves as Shadow Mirage and Maria and Alfred, Arthur and Antonio, limbs bound and hung upside-down but still alive and breathing.

"I-it's them! They're alive!" Lovino yelled, making himself heard among the lies and empty pleading.

"W-who?" Feliciano asked, lifting his head. Ludwig turned towards the kitchen.

"Alfred, Arthur and Toni!" Lovino shouted back. "It's the mirrors! The mirrors have some sort of power that lets you see into… oh blast it! JUST LOOK INTO THE MIRRORS!"

Ludwig immediately began peering into every mirror he could find in the mansion. As they shone, they revealed empty rooms and truths. He desperately hoped that one of the mirrors revealed the very room his brother was in.

And suddenly, he found the mirror he was looking for on the second floor corridor.

Its surface shone brightly and in an instant, he was looking straight at his brother's face.

"BRUDER!" Ludwig yelled. He felt the heavy rock weighing on his heart finally lift itself. He saw Elizabeta and Roderich in the background and Gilbert looked extremely happy and relieved, his crimson eyes suddenly filled with tears. Gilbert's lips were moving, but no sound came out. But then again, words would just spoil everything. Ludwig smiled.

"Bruder…" he murmured.

"DAMN!" Lust Eater's voice split the air, ruining the mood. The mirror shone and soon, Gilbert's image disappeared. Ludwig turned and saw Lust Eater on the ground floor, looking furious. The containers howled and suddenly vanished, leaving behind no trace of their existence.

"And here I thought that I would win," Lust Eater gritted his teeth. He smirked. "Well, at least I haven't _completely _lost yet. I can still pick out a soul here to eat."

"P-please don't hurt us! Don't kill us! I'll do anything! Just don't eat me!" Feliciano wailed from his vulnerable kneeling position. Lust Eater's grin got wider as he approached Feliciano, who was still kneeling and begging for mercy.

"Well, well… Looks like I'll pick you," Lust Eater whispered in a dangerous voice.

"FELICIANO! FRATELLO!" Ludwig yelled from the staircase. "RUN!"

Suddenly, Lovino leapt from the staircase and thrust himself in front of Feliciano protectively, wielding his dagger. His eyes flamed with fury. "I dare you to touch my _fratello_. As stupid as he is, he's still my brother!" Lovino said. "Come on! I'll protect my brother with my own life if I have to! He's the only family in this fucking mansion I've got!"

Suddenly, Lust Eater stopped dead in his tracks.

* * *

><p>"Don't hurt him!" The boy said, thrusting himself in front of his helpless younger brother, although he was no stronger himself. He was scrawny and skinny. He looked up, teeth gritted and dark eyes blazing. His words were louder than the sound of the pouring rain, stronger than the descending raindrops. "Don't touch him! He's the only family I've got!"<p>

"Big Brother…" The boy behind him whispered.

The man still stood there. In the faint, flickering light, he looked genuinely surprised.

"What makes you think I'll hurt little children like you? You two look cold and hungry!" The man exclaimed. He extended a large hand. "Come on, come home with me."

The boys cautiously followed the man to his house, a large mansion. There the friendly man, who looked only around ten years older than the older boy, got some servants to clean the two boys up. They took warm baths and were changed out of their wet clothes and into a set of clean clothes each. The man led them into a room where there were two beds. The boys clambered onto the beds.

"Thanks, Big Brother," the younger boy smiled at his older brother. "For saving me."

"Silly boy," his older brother laughed as he ruffled his younger's brother's dark hair. "That man didn't hurt us. He helped us, so I didn't really save you."

"B-but still," his brother insisted. The older boy extended his pinkie towards brother.

"We're brothers. We live together, we die together as brothers. Promise?" the older boy asked.

The younger boy used his own pinkie to hook onto his brother's. "Promise."

* * *

><p>"Big Brother…" Lust Eater whispered as he dropped to his knees as buried memories flashed in front of his eyes. The humans' eyes widened in surprise.<p>

Lust Eater suddenly made a choked, whimpering sound. "Shit!" he cursed, his teeth gritted. "Move!" But his legs seemed paralysed and numb. He looked up and threw himself forward, his upper body sprawled across the floor. He snatched up Feliciano's abandoned dagger. He lifted the dagger high up, and brought it down hard on his left thigh.

There was a spurt of blood as the blade dug right into his thigh. Lust Eater breathed hard and panted as he pulled out the dagger, and continuously stabbed his thigh. His stabs sped up as he cursed.

"Shit, shit, SHIT! WHY CAN'T I KILL HIM?" he yelled loudly as he continuously stabbed himself in the thigh, tears streaming down his face. Lovino couldn't help but wince every time the dagger was brought down. It was the first time he had seen this… being… no, be it any one of those five jerks, acting human.

After stabbing himself countless times, Lust Eater finally dropped the bloody dagger. His breathing seemed so loud as he leaned forward, supporting himself with his arms. He huffed. Blood was splattered across his cheek and on his shirt. His very words, although whispered, seemed louder and cleared in the empty mansion.

"Big… Brother… Saerel…"


	10. Chapter 10: Turn Back the Clock

_Before the five assembled as humans no more,_

_First who lusts, second is the puppeteer, third of intelligence and grace, and the fourth and fifth that should be one who are weapon and wielder,_

_Even they were humans, countless handfuls of hundreds of years ago,_

_All one has to do is turn back the clock…_

* * *

><p>The promise was made and sealed on that very night the two brothers were saved from a miserly life by a stranger.<p>

As the stranger tucked them to sleep, he asked, "Do you have names?"

They both shook their heads.

"Which is the older one?" The stranger continued. The older boy raised his hand.

"I am."

"Then you shall be named Saerel, and you," The stranger smiled at the younger boy. "shall be named Alosis. That will be how people will call you from now on."

"Then, what shall we call you?" Alosis asked.

"Please call me Father."

The boys nodded. As Father left the room and blew out the candle, the boys whispered.

"Good night, Father."

* * *

><p>The next day, the newly-named boys learnt to be accustomed to their new life.<p>

Father tutored them in the morning after their breakfast, which the first proper one they had in a long time. During the lessons conducted in the study, Father suddenly asked a question. "How old are you two?"

The boys looked at each other for a moment, before Saerel spoke up, "Alosis is eight, and I'm three years older. I-I can only count to ten, so I don't know how old I am now."

"I see," Father smiled warmly. "Don't worry, you two will learn how to count beyond ten soon."

When afternoon came, Father checked his pocket watch. "Well, it's one o'clock already. Let's have lunch. The cook would have prepared the meal by now."

The two boys nodded and followed Father to the kitchen. The aroma of delicious food wafted into the air. A maid set a plate of steaming hot food on the table. As Alosis and Saerel sat down, Father asked the maid. "Where's Maria?"

"Upstairs, sir," the maid replied. "She'll be coming down soon."

At that moment, a young girl came down to the kitchen. She looked no older than Alosis. She had long, dark brown hair accessorised by two bright yellow ribbons. She was wearing a bright blue dress with short sleeves and a loose, white ribbon tied around her neck. She looked up and upon seeing Alosis and Saerel, who were strangers to her, she immediately began stuttering, "G-good-d a-aftern-noon," she stammered, her cheeks flushed as she nervously took a seat.

Father smiled. "Boys, this is my adopted daughter, Maria. She's the same age as Alosis and will be your adopted sister from now on. Please excuse her, she's very shy. And Maria, this is Alosis and Saerel. They'll be your adopted brothers and you'll show them how to do the chores later, won't you?"

Maria nodded slowly and she turned to her food.

Father smiled. Although Maria was wary of strangers, especially men, due to her scarred, distorted past, he was sure that she would soon overcome shyness and be able to communicate with Alosis and Saerel like normal siblings.

* * *

><p>It was not less than a month later that the fourth and fifth sons of Father arrived.<p>

By then, Maria got along well with Alosis and Saerel, but she still had yet to overcome her fear of strangers, so it was not surprising that she stood several paces away from the two newcomers of the mansion when they came in, puddles of rainwater forming on their feet.

"W-what are you going to do to us, old man?" the first boy, taller than the other boy and close to Saerel's height, demanded, though Father was still quite young. "We-we're not losing to you, right?" he said, turning to his companion.

The other boy nodded. "Um… yes…" he stuttered.

"You two will catch a cold if you continue standing there!" Father exclaimed. "Here, I'll bring you two to the bathroom."

"Don't touch me!" The first boy lashed out, although Father had no intention on laying a finger on the boys until they trusted him. The two boys lumbered up the steps, a trail of water following them.

Later on, the two new boys were named Diean and Kougar, and they were nine and eight respectively. They became the adopted siblings of Father's own three adopted children. Kougar trusted Father from the start, but Diean refused to let anyone come near him and called Father 'old man' for five weeks until he finally trusted the people around him.

For these five children, there could not be a more ideal guardian for them. He was a young man, around twenty when Alosis and Saerel were adopted, and had a fatherly air and a hearty laugh. He was patient around his adopted children and was fond of them. But beneath all of this, he was sick and was feared solitude after an incident which nearly left him dead in his younger years. And this was something the children had yet to know, even after their death.

* * *

><p><em>Ten years later…<em>

"Father? Open the door! It's me, Maria!" The girl said, knocking on Father's bedroom door. She hardly heard a groan of reluctance and pain coming from inside. She tried to open the door, but to her dismay, it was locked. She went downstairs to look for her siblings. Ever since five years ago, she and her siblings had replaced the maids and butlers, for they had been forcefully dismissed for some reason. It was on that very year Father gave them 'Death Names', and they were told to remember them.

"Yeah, Maria? What's wrong?" Diean looked up from washing the dishes. He was now the tallest among his siblings and years of hunting had given his skin a touch of copper to its colour.

"It's Father. He's locked his door and he's not answering to my calls," Maria answered worriedly.

Upon hearing this, Diean immediately when upstairs and began rapping the door. "Father, Father! Open the door!"

There was no response.

Maria chewed her lip worriedly, fearing the worst. "Do you think he's…?"

"Go find the others," Diean muttered.

Maria went to look for her other siblings. She found Alosis cleaning the drawing room, Saerel taking care of the remains of the dying garden and Kougar bringing back a bucket of water from the well. When they all heard that the door to Father's room was locked, they immediately abandoned their duties and began knocking on Father's door desperately. However, no response came even after many knocks. In the end, Saerel and Diean had no choice but to knock down the door.

When the door finally burst open, the first and only thing the siblings saw was Father, lying on his bed, looking worse than ever. His hair, which was once light brown, was now close to black and his skin, which was once of a healthy radiance, was now deathly pale. His body was limp and his fingers and limbs were bony. He was like a living skeleton.

The siblings approached their ailing guardian, who seemed to struggle to whisper his words. "I-I'll… b-be… l-leav-ving… this… world…. soon…"

"Father…" Maria whispered as tears pricked her eyes. Father gave his adopted children a weak smile.

"D-do… you… still… remember… your… Death… Names?" Father rasped. The siblings nodded.

"It's… n-not… t-too… late… to take… back… your… swear… of… loyalty…to…me…" Father continued.

Saerel leaned forward and took Father's hand. "We're prepared to go through whatever pain there will be. This is the only way to thank you for looking after us for so long."

Father nodded slowly. "V-very… well, my death… as well… as… yours… is… approaching…"

Father was cut off as he suddenly spurted blood from his mouth. Maria's hands flew to her mouth.

"Father!"

Father continued vomiting out blood, staining his sheets red. His children felt helpless. They didn't know how to help him. They could only stand there, watching Father suffer. Finally, the vomiting and heart-wrenching noises stopped.

The silence was short-lived.

Suddenly, there came howls and cries of pain. Strange tattoos, in the form of a spiral circling around a sliver cross, began embedding themselves on the siblings. They were embedded on different areas of the siblings' bodies; Alosis' had his engraved on his left waist, while Saerel's appeared on his back. Maria had hers embedded on her thigh, and Diean's tattoo was on his right palm, Kougar's on his left.

After the embedding, Diean picked up a folded piece of paper, which he had not noticed earlier, from Father's table top. In shaky handwriting which could only be Father's, were the words: "Is everyone here?"

"Screw Hunter and Black Blade, present."

"Dream Finder, present."

"Shadow Mirage, present."

"Lust Eater, present."

This was the Swear of Loyalty to Father. To protect this mansion from any other soul that would linger in this mansion, to bury Father's body, to consume the souls of intruders, those were their after-death duties. They became the Guardians of the mansion, fulfilling their promise. The moment their hearts had stopped beating as a human heart, they began to crave for souls, even though in actual fact they could last for over 500 years with under a total of 10 souls. But they were no longer human.

The only way to turn back into one was to wake up their heart; the emotions they once held when they were human.

For countless years, no one had stirred these sealed feelings, these forgotten emotions. Until then…

* * *

><p><em>They swore their loyalty to someone important,<em>

_There is a promise they must fulfil._

_But to wake up the sleeping soul, takes more than just courage and apologies._

_It is and was a choice between loyalty and devotion to someone and yourself._

_To jolt humanity once more,_

_Takes sacrifice._


	11. Chapter 11: White

_"Shit, shit, SHIT! WHY CAN'T I KILL HIM?" he yelled loudly as he continuously stabbed himself in the thigh, tears streaming down his face. Lovino couldn't help but wince every time the dagger was brought down. It was the first time he had seen this… being… no, be it any one of those five jerks, acting human._

_After stabbing himself countless times, Lust Eater finally dropped the bloody dagger. His breathing seemed so loud as he leaned forward, supporting himself with his arms. He huffed. His very words, although whispered, seemed louder and cleared in the empty mansion._

_"Big… Brother… Saerel…"_

* * *

><p>"W-what did he say?" Lovino said in disbelief. Ludwig had entered the kitchen, to see a collapsed Lust Eater with a leg covered with oozing blood. The strong smell of blood enveloped the room, twisting Ludwig's stomach into knots.<p>

Feliciano suddenly crawled fearlessly over to Lust Eater. His eyes widened in sympathy, and he felt his initial fear for Lust Eater slowly melting away. Feliciano felt his heart go out to him. This sobbing man was no longer Lust Eater, but the human he once was, full of regret. Regret that he hadn't thanked his brother properly or treated his brother as he sibling since death as a human. Feliciano could see these raw emotions and tears began pricking his own eyes.

"D-don't cry," Feliciano said comfortingly, rubbing Lust Eater's shoulder.

Lust Eater didn't respond. There was a soft, crackling noise, like burning firewood. Lust Eater's hand flew to his left waist. But it was too late.

There was blue fire flaring as the tattoo began melting, burning away, and eating at his clothes.

The five cards in Shadow Mirage's hand flew to the floor as he suddenly dropped to his knees, groaning in pain.

"Saerel, what's wrong?"

Maria immediately rushed to his side, with the three bound humans looking on with surprise. This was the first time they saw Shadow Mirage, who had remained calm and collected throughout his game of Poker with Maria, experience pain. They thought he would be immune to it or won't show that he was hurting, judging from his personality. But now, he was wincing and moaning from the stinging, excruciating pain burning in his back.

"A-alosis is in trouble…" Shadow Mirage whispered breathlessly. "M-my… younger… brother…"

Maria understood the situation and in a snap of her fingers, all five beings were transported from the strange, dreary green room and back into the kitchen of the mansion. Alfred, Arthur and Antonio yelped as they dropped from what was now thin air and onto the wooden floor. Arthur looked up. "Feliciano, Lovino and Ludwig…?"

No, not just these three humans were in the kitchen. Lust Eater was also present, but he was kneeling on the floor, gripping his bloody wound, choking and coughing on tears. Shadow Mirage looked up.

"A-alosis? Wh-what happened? Are… you alright?" Shadow Mirage asked worriedly.

"Big Brother…" Lust Eater whimpered. The humans in the room gasped, frozen in shock and disbelief. Shadow Mirage and Lust Eater were siblings? It appeared that they bore no resemblance aside from their black hair. It seemed almost impossible. But now the humans could see that even these beings who had chased after their souls, were once humans of their own right.

Just then, there was a mild puff of blue smoke as Screw Hunter, Black Blade, Gilbert, Elizabeta and Roderich appeared. Upon seeing Lust Eater's and Shadow Mirage's fading tattoos, Screw Hunter and Black Blade rushed up to them.

"Hey, what's going on? How come both of them are dying?" Screw Hunter demanded.

"I-I don't know. Saerel just… began hurting. I don't know what happened, but once he began feeling pain, he wanted to see if Alosis was okay…" Maria trailed off as Shadow Mirage dragged himself to his younger brother, who had by then lost his strength to even kneel, and was lying stomach-flat on the floor.

"Big Brother… do you remember our promise?" Lust Eater asked hoarsely. Saerel gripped Lust Eater's hand and nodded tearfully. How could he forget?

"I think… it's the real time to fulfil the part that says that we would die together…" Alosis whispered. "As brothers."

At that moment, Saerel felt his energy drain out from his body as his hand pressed itself on the floor, keeping his body upright. He managed a small nod and whispered. "Looks like our time is up."

Alosis smiled and nodded. He lifted his free hand and slid it into his mouth. He then slowly drew it out again. He was clutching on a black ball, lit by flickering blue flames. Gilbert and Antonio's eyes widened.

"I believe… this belongs to your friend," Alosis rasped. All eyes flew to the still-fresh and untouched corpse, propped limply by the wall. Gilbert stepped forward fearlessly and took the soul from Alosis' outstretched hand, murmuring a word of thanks. Alosis grinned.

"I… guess… that's it. I can die peacefully now." Alosis whispered as he tightened his grip on his brother's hand. Saerel nodded. The soft crackling suddenly slowed. Their tattoos were disappearing away, almost completely and their bodies were fading into grey ashes. In a moment, their bodies were reduced to dust, carried by wind and disappeared. Without a trace that they had existed before.

Everyone in the kitchen was tearing. Feliciano and Lovino, who couldn't hold back their tears any longer, burst into noisy sobs, with Antonio patting their shoulders comfortingly. Gilbert embraced Elizabeta, who cried on his chest, and squeezed Ludwig's shoulder. Roderich and Arthur were tearing silently and Alfred fought back the urge to cry. The others watched and lifted their hands, which were fading into ashes, just like what happened to Shadow Mirage and Lust Eater… no, Saerel and Alosis.

"I never thought we would die on the same day… twice," Diean said softly as his legs began disintegrating, laughing softly. Kougar nodded.

"Life was beautiful while it lasted, right?"

"It was. We lived our new life by our swear, and now we're joining Saerel, Alosis and Father. They're waiting for us," Maria whispered, smiling slightly. The breeze blew into the kitchen and soon, the remaining three beings, dying as humans, were reduced to ashes and were blown away, forgotten. Everyone looked at where the beings once stood. Somehow, the mansion seemed bigger and brighter, bright with realisation and peace. Gilbert went over to Francis' body, and slid the soul into his mouth. There were a few moments of suspense before Francis opened his eyes slowly.

"_Monsieur_?"

"It's great to have you back, Francis," Gilbert grinned as Antonio joined him. The two extended their arms, and Francis grinned as he took them. He was pulled back to his feet.

"I suppose those beings are gone?" Francis enquired, smoothing his creases on his shirt. Antonio nodded.

"They died… as humans."

Francis was puzzled by this. But judging his friends' wistful expressions, he guessed that had a better understanding of those beings.

Deciding that there were no need for words, everyone headed back upstairs, filled with nostalgia. They packed their things in double-quick time, eager to return to the sun, the outdoors and the world of humans.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Wait! This is not over yet! There are still 2 more chapters before this comes to its official close. Next chapter I'm going to elaborate on the OCs a bit more, so stay tuned for two more chapters and an upcoming longer-than-usual Author's Note. Also, be sure to check out** '**Gelukkige Verjaardag, Portugal', my new oneshot. Don't ask me what it means, read it yourself!**


	12. Chapter 12: Epilogue

Outside couldn't be more welcoming.

Gilbert dashed out of the mansion, arms outstretched, yelling, "WE'RE FREE!"

Everyone followed him. They couldn't agree more. Elizabeta slowly lifted her hand, touching the sunlight. She smiled. So this was the feeling of being free and being filled with happiness for someone else, for herself. For a few moments, it seemed unreal and she felt as if she was living, breathing and standing in a long-awaited fantasy.

Feliciano was laughing, full of contagious joy. Alfred looked comically relieved as he flopped himself on the ground, ignoring Arthur's yelling. Francis and Antonio were cheering with Gilbert. Ludwig, Roderich and Elizabeta savoured freedom and Arthur faced skyward, his eyes closed and wearing a wistfully happy expression. Lovino just grinned. As he shoved his hands into his pockets, he thought he felt something soft crumple in his left pocket. He fished it out, surprised to find a photograph. He beckoned to the others.

"Hey, jerks! I think you guys should get your asses over here and see this!"

The others gathered around Lovino, surprised to see the photograph in his hands. The photograph was black and white, further yellowed with age. It showed six people in a familiar room, which was actually the drawing room in the mansion. Seated on the piano chair, was a man who looked like he was in his late-twenties, his grin broad. Crowding around his were five teenagers, who looked around 18 to 20 years old. They were smiling and laughing at the camera. They were wearing butler and maid uniforms. They all looked achingly familiar. They were…

"…the beings who died in the mansion as humans," Elizabeta breathed.

Suddenly, all the pieces fell into place. The reason why they were in the mansion in the first place, the reason why they stayed in the mansion was answered. Everything became crystal clear.

"Well, although I totally understand those guys now, wasn't it a pity we didn't stay 13 nights in that mansion?" Alfred enquired. The others nodded.

"A bit of a pity…" Arthur agreed. He glanced at his watch, which was the sort that displayed both the time and date. His breath was stolen and he paled slightly when he saw the date.

"What's wrong?" Antonio asked curiously.

"T-today is 14th March…" Arthur answered. "13 days after we all first set foot in the mansion, counting the actual day we first entered it."

"T-that can't be right," Roderich murmured. "It was the second day when those beings showed themselves, wasn't it...?"

Gilbert shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't care. All that I care now is that we're free!" he smirked. "Come on! Race you back to my house, where we'll play Truth or Dare!"

"BRUDER! I didn't give you permission!" Ludwig scolded as he chased after the already-running Bad Touch Trio.

"Eh? Wait for me, Ludwig!" Feliciano called as he and the scolding Lovino ran after Ludwig. Alfred broke into a grin.

"Race you!" he yelled, breaking into a sprint. Arthur dashed after him, shouting, "Slow down, you git! You had a one-second headstart, which is not fair! Come back here!"

Soon, all ten humans were well clear of the once-haunted mansion, which was at the end of a grey, dead wood. The mansion stood there, looking as innocent and mysterious as ever, leaving a few mysteries unanswered.

_No more pain, no more fear, no more of them_

_What used to be just a place where souls cry and weep_

_Is now just another building_

_But even so, mysteries still lie and linger about_

_Not needed to be answered_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: This is the official end to the storyline *cries*. The next chapter is a compilation of all the 'poems' at the end/start of each chapter. So, as I promised, I will give an intro to my OCs.**

**Alosis/Lust Eater- My OC for Singapore. His human name is Aloysius Lee Wen Dong. He's actually a really lazy guy who loves eating as much as cooking. His full description is at the link at my profile.**

**Saerel/ Shadow Mirage- My OC for Malaysia. His human name is Sazali Muhammed. SHUT UP, it's not his finalised name yet! He's actually really strict and can't stand Singapore's Singlish although he sometimes himself, but only by accident.**

**Diean/ Screw Hunter- My OC for Laos. He has no human name yet, nut I'm calling him Lang for the time being, so name suggestions are open. He's actually fowl-mouthed and really protective of ASEAN and his siblings. He's actually Cambodia's good friend.**

**Kougar/ Black Blade- My OC for Cambodia. He has no human name yet, like Laos, so name suggestions are open for him too. He's actually gentle and he addresses himself as 'boku', as opposed to the 'ore'/'watashi' the other male ASEAN nations use. He's always the one to help Laos out of trouble.**

**Maria/ Dream Finder- My OC for Portugal. Yes, she's the only one to have her human name retained for this story. She has no last name yet, so last-name suggestions ONLY are open for her. She's friendly, kind and has killer kicks, which she uses on people who annoy her *cough* Netherlands *cough*. **

**Father- Random OC used for this story.**


	13. Chapter 13: Interlude Melody

_A dreary mansion stands at the end of a lone wood_

_It is a container of hidden, never-ending suffering._

_Ignore the black dove's warning and the white raven's cries,_

_and tomorrow shall mark the first day of hell._

_Paintings, mirrors, beauty_

_Mystery stirs in the mansion._

_But beyond knowledge and beneath the wood,_

_The gods laugh._

_The wound and the locked entrances and exits_

_Are not warnings; they are signs_

_Signs that they are approaching, waiting_

_Don't sleep, don't daze off, don't die._

_If you can_

_Today or tomorrow,_

_No one knows when they will strike_

_Will they consume their prey quickly, painlessly and upon their own hollow hearts,_

_Or will they kill and bestow blood upon the moon?_

_You ignored their warnings,_

_So one of you died_

_They are not satisfied, for they want more than souls_

_They want blood to spill._

_Human's blood_

_Before the five assembled as humans no more,_

_First who lusts, second is the puppeteer, third of intelligence and grace, and the fourth and fifth that should be one who are weapon and wielder,_

_Even they were humans, countless handfuls of hundreds of years ago,_

_All one has to do is turn back the clock… _

_They swore their loyalty to someone important,_

_There is a promise they must fulfil._

_But to wake up the sleeping soul, takes more than just courage and apologies._

_It is and was a choice between loyalty and devotion to someone and yourself._

_To jolt humanity once more,_

_Takes sacrifice._

_What used to be just a place where souls cry and weep_

_Is now just another building_

_But even so, mysteries still lie and linger about_

_Not needed to be answered_

_After how many years the mansion will still stand_

_Or maybe it would have died_

_Just wait, but there may be no need to fear,_

_For one question is still left to be asked_

"_W-…_

The ink was faded, run off from the middle of the old paper. The wind blew and the pages fluttered, bringing the book back to the first page. The wind was persistent and continued blowing, until the book was shut, revealing the cover.

Aside from it being brown, it was empty.


End file.
